Dalton Knecht Stats Tonight: How did Lakers first-rounder fare in return to starting lineup vs. Spurs? (Nov. 27)

After consecutive blowout losses, Lakers coach JJ Redick decided to bring Dalton Knecht back into the starting lineup in Wednesday's contest against the Spurs. The first-rounder instantly made an impact after LA trailed 9-2 in the opening minutes.

With 10 first-quarter points, Knecht got the Lakers going, giving them a 32-23 lead into the second. He didn't score again, but the Lakers retained a 58-47 lead. In his 13:23 minutes of action, the NBA Rookie of the Year candidate was a +/- +5. He shot 4-of-8, including 2-of-5 from 3-point range.

Knecht had another solid half in the final 24 minutes. The rookie popped another 10 points on 4-of-7 shooting. He added six rebounds and two steals. Knecht's return to the starting lineup proved the right move as his scoring and gravity made things easier on others, especially LeBron James and Anthony Davis.

The Lakers won the contest 119-101, surviving a few threatening runs from the Spurs in the second half.

Here are Dalton Knecht's stats tonight:

MIN	PTS	REB	AST	STL	BLK	TO	FG	3-PT FG	FTM	+/-
30:31	20	8	1	2	0	1	8-15	4-10	0-0	+9

Lakers improve to 4-2 with Dalton Knecht as a starter

The Lakers needed to switch things up after consecutive blowout losses following a 6-1 run, which was close to being 7-0 if not for a Franz Wagner game-winner in the Nov. 21 game against the Orlando Magic. One of the keys to LA's success in the majority of those games was Dalton Knecht.

A five-game stretch between Nov. 13 and Nov. 21 saw Knecht tally 22.8 points and 4.2 rebounds, shooting 63.6%, including 63.2% from 3-point range. The Lakers were 4-1 and playing their best basketball of the season.

Knecht's performance was simply about his rhythm and consistent minutes, which he seemingly didn't get in the losses against the Denver Nuggets on Saturday and Phoenix Suns on Tuesday. With a nine and seven-point outing, respectively, on limited shot attempts, Knecht was a non-factor and that directly hampered the Lakers, too.

LA's offense went cold, and it didn't have much of a response in lean stretches. The swing in momentum in those losses didn't help the Lakers recover. If Knecht played his usual minutes, the Lakers may have had a better chance. With Knecht in the lineup for Wednesday's game, LA remained in a better position to fend off the Spurs' runs.

The rookie also kept the Lakers afloat, with LeBron James struggling with his shooting. The eye test and outcomes match Dalton Knecht's impact, and keeping him in the starting lineup until the Lakers get reinforcements via trade seems like the way forward.